One last time
by mriva
Summary: Fifteen years after the Deathly Hallows, Voldemort may be back. Even if Harry is called to save the Wizarding World against a well-know enemy, it's different now; he have a family to protect. And a friend too, even if he's supposed to be dead.


Harry was awakened by the barks of a dog and a dull ache in his back. " Nutty ?" he called, still half asleep. Not long after, a wet nose pressed against his cheek and Harry raised a hand to stroke the dog's fur. " What's the matter, girl ?" he asked in a soft voice. Nuttypaws happily licked his face in answer.

Harry has fallen asleep on the couch after getting back from the Ministry, a few hours ago. Ginny and the kids weren't back yet and for once in a while, he was profiting of some peace. He looked at the watch at his wrist and saw it was ten past five. Ginny and the kids won't be long and it was time to prepare some snacks. Harry stood up and made a face. '_No more nap on the couch,'_ he thought before he went to the kitchen.

Nuttypaws was barking at the front door so Harry raised his wand, and the German shepherd immediately ran to the garden that bordered the front of the house. Not long after that, the wicket creaked and Harry looked out the window to see Ginny, Lily, and Albus walk up the little gray slab driveway, before going through the still open door, followed by Nuttypaws.

" Dad ! " said Albus as soon as the boy was in the kitchen, surprised to see his father. Usually, Harry wasn't back until seven in the evening! He rushed to his father and threw himself into a hug, and Harry let out an 'oof'. "Did you get my letter ?"

With a shrug, Harry leaned against the kitchen sink and crossed his arms on his chest, looking down at his son with a smirk. " Hello, you too. Oh, you're welcome, I hope you'll enjoy the chocolate cake I just made."

" Hogwart will send your letter at the beginning of the month of July, not before." Both boys heard the voice of Ginny from the hall.

The redhead came into the kitchen and went to her husband, kissing him softly and hugging him. Harry grinned when Albus let out a ' gross' before he sat a the table and took a part of the cake.

Lily came into the kitchen and smiled as soon as she saw the cake on the table. She kissed the cheek of her father before rejoining Albus and talking happily with him. Ginny was still in Harry's arms, her head on his shoulder. " How was your day ?" he asked.

" Awfully long," answered Ginny. " Mom hasn't stopped to talk about James' OWLs. I hope he'll be fine."

" You shouldn't worry too much," said Harry. " James is clever and will get them with flying colors."

Ginny was on the point to said something, when they heard a loud crack outside the house. Immediately, Harry's hand flew to his wand in this pocket and Nuttypaw started barking at the door. " Were we expecting someone ?" Harry asked Ginny, already knowing the answer and looking at the window.

A dark, tall stranger was standing before the wicket, apparently unsteady on his feet. Harry couldn't blame the stranger; Apparating wasn't a nice sensation.  
Hand firmly clasped around his wand, Harry left the kitchen while Ginny stayed with Lily and Albus. He took the dog by her collar and guided er to the kitchen, and shared a serious look with Ginny. They were both Aurors, and it wasn't unheard to bring trouble at home. Rare, yes, but it wouldn't be the first time for an Auror to be attacked at home.

When he arrived on the threshold of the front door, he froze, incredulous.

As soon as the man saw Harry, he nodded politely, still behind the wicket. " Potter."

" Bloody hell," whispered the young man. If it was a joke, it was a cruel one. " Professor Snape ?" he asked, unsure of who he was truly seeing.

Severus Snape didn't reply right away, watching his former student. If the teenager version of Harry looked like his father, so was he more now. If he hadn't had a scar and his mother's eyes, he could easily pretend to be James. " Civilized people do not let people who came to see them in front of their houses. "

Harry still looked at him for a few seconds, before crossing the few meters that made the small path of slabs, stopping right in front of the wicket. It was a very pretty house Harry had there, really. A small garden in front of the house and probably a bigger behind, green trees bordering the alley and fresh colors on the house. Through a window, Severus briefly saw the face of two children and a red-haired mop. Ginerva Weasley thought the Potions Master.

" Civilized people don't pretend to be dead for fifteen years !" shouted back Harry, his green eyes burning with anger.

Severus rolled his eyes. " I am not here to hear you shoutings, Potter. Important matter brought me here."

Before Harry could respond, Ginny was beside him. She briefly looked at her former professor, then she leaned toward her husband and whispered something in his ear. Harry gave her a strange look, before furiously turning away and getting back in the house.

" Sorry professor," she said with a faint smile. " We thought-... Would you like tea ?"

"Yes, thank you," replied Severus after a short pause.

Ginny stepped aside and opened the wicket, letting in the older man. She guided him to the living room, and pointed him an armchair, next to the window. Harry was nowhere to be seen. Without a sound, Ginny left the living room and quickly after, Severus heard the brutal rattling of the dishes, before Ginny came back with a tray and, surprisingly, three cups. As the good host, Ginny served Severus a cup of tea, before fulling the other two. Then, she sat on the couch and took a sip of her cup, not looking at the Potion Master.

" It a lovely house you have," said Severus, more by politeness than by sincerity.

Ginerva looked at the dark-haired man with an unreadable gaze. "Yes, it is," she replied, before drinking her tea. " How are you ?"

The older man imitated her. " Good." It wasn't entirely true. Some days, he was perfectly fine while other days he was suffering from his scars and the Dark Magic residues that are not yet completely eliminated.

Ginny simply nodded and looked down at her cup of tea. " Who knows you are.. alive ?" she quietly asked. Her fingers were clutched around her cup, threatening to broke it.

" No one," answered Severus. " As I said, an important matter brought me here."

Ginny slightly sighed before putting aside her cup and standing up. " I'll get Harry." Again, she left Severus alone.

His gaze went around the room, noticing the family pictures on the fireplace. The former professor stood up and went to look at them, hand clasped in his back. It was Harry and Ginny, with their children and a happy dog running around them. Severus had a faint smile. After everything, Harry moved on and founded a family - he truly was a Gryffindor. He raised a hand to touch a picture of a red-haired girl with bright blue eyes and an enormous smile on her face. She terribly looked like Lily.

" Who-Who are you ?"

Severus turned around and raised an eyebrow at the sight of two children - a boy and a girl. The boy seemed in age to attend Hogwart and had the round face his father once had at the same age, whilst the girl looked more like her mother. They were much older than they were on the pictures.

" An acquaintance of your parents," replied Severus without missing a beat, looking at the boy as if he had blown up a cauldron. " I presume you are Potter's children ?"

" I"m Albus Potter, and she's Lily, my little sister."

Severus' eyebrows shot up and he looked at the boy and the girl with surprise. _'Truly, Harry is a Gryffindor,_' he thought with sarcasm.

"Albus, Lily !" Ginny's voice echoed in the corridor and both children looked at each other in a start before their mother appeared behind them. " I told you to be in your rooms! And take Nutty with you, we don't want to be interrupted. "

Without anymore word, Albus and Lily left the room and went to their rooms. Ginny entered the living room, followed by Harry.  
He had his head down and didn't try to look at Severus. Instead, he went to the couch, took the last cup of tea and drunk it in one go. Severus went back to the armchair as Ginny sat down beside her husband. There was an uncomfortable silence and Severus remained quiet, waiting for Harry to explode.

Harry's head rose up so suddenly that he felt his neck protest painfully. " Ginny told me you were here for something important," he said, much to Severus' surprise. " What is it ?"

The Potion Master took a sip of his cup of tea before putting it aside on the coffee table and leaning forward, elbows on his knees. " Has your scar hurt you recently? " he asked, looking right into Harry's eyes.

Harry and Ginny paled, and the young man frowned. " Not since Voldemort's death, " he replied. " Why? "

Severus let out a silent sigh of relief. " I have heard the most faithful members of Death Eaters who are still free want the return of their Master," he said in a cynical voice.

A pregnant pause followed his words. Severus always had the talent to drop a bomb like this one.

" But he's dead !" exclaimed Ginny, maybe more loudly she should have. She turned to her husband, frowning. " All the Horcruxes are destroyed, right ?"

Harry didn't reply, his gaze stuck on Severus. The former professor could see the wheels of his mind functioning a full regime, trying to understand what Severus had said by 'the return of their master', thinking as the Survivor and as an Auror. He narrowed his eyes, pressing Ginny's leg with a comforting hand.

" Do you mean he's playing the same game as you? Pretending to be dead before being back fifteen years later ?" he asked bitterly.

Snape rolled his eyes, leaning back in the armchair. " It was necessary. I won't apologize."

" Apologies !" exclaimed Harry. " As if I was expecting apologies from you !"

" I don't have time for childish disputes," replied Severus in a cold voice. He saw Harry biting his lip in anger, before breathing deep a few times to regain his calm.  
" What do you mean ?" asked Ginny in a calm voice.

"Think. How can you save someone's life before it ends?" Saying that Severus looked at Harry with a faint smirk.

No doubt Potter had understood by the face he made a few seconds later, eyes widening in surprise." A time turner !"

The dark-haired man nodded. " It is a possibility I have thought of. But very few Death Eater know how to bring back the Dark Lord and still, they do not know what they are looking for."

" Is Minerva aware of that ?" asked Harry.

"I told you no one else know that I am alive, Potter, " hissed Snape, shaking his head. " I would like you not to mention me to anyone or I will be dead long before you get the chance to see me again."

Harry nodded, not saying a word for a few minutes. " Why are you telling me this ?" he asked, crossing the professor's gaze. " I mean, you could have sent an anonymous letter to me or to the Ministry."

" I have my reasons Potter," replied Severus. " The same who kept me dead for the last fifteen years."

"  
The older man could see that Harry was burning with questions, yet he remained silent. Severus took his cup of tea and drunk it, even if it had become cold.  
" It's time to prepare dinner," announced Ginny as she stood up. " Will you eat with us tonight, professor ?"

Severus and Harry looked at her like she just a third head. Both men stayed silent, and the Potion Master rose to his feet. He hadn't been invited to someone's dinner in the last fifteen years and he didn't imagine that he would once be invited to the Potter's. Harry simply looked surprised - probably more than Snape was - but not repulsed by the idea.

" Yeah," said Harry, now looking at Severus. " That's a good idea."

Severus shook his head. " Not tonight," he replied. " But I appreciate the invitation."

Ginny nodded before disappearing into the hallway while Harry looked slightly disappointed.

"Potter, listen to me carefully. I will tell you everything I know and when I will leave this house, I want you to act as if I really dead.'' announced the Potion Master, leaning forward and raising his wand to cast a silencing spell on the room.

" It won't be hard,'' replied Harry, giving his former professor a cold glance.

" Potter! " Severus growled. " Nothing keeps me from leaving and letting you deal with the problems ahead! "

" Then speak !" shouted Harry, jumping on his feet. " May I presume that during fifteen years, you can't find a single bloody minute to write a letter and owl me to tell me you're alive? But hey, instead, you pop up to my house to tell me that Voldemort may be back !"

" You are acting like a brat,'' replied Severus, standing up too. " I can not believe that again, the safety of our world may need you! "  
" For Merlin's sake, you can't blame me to react as I do! It's not every day that someone walks back from the dead in bone and flesh," said Harry, stepping toward Severus. " One word! One word was all I needed !"

Severus sighed, looking away from the emerald eyes. Harry looked like his mother; green eyes burning in anger, shallowing all other emotions inside.

" I owe you nothing Potter! Now if you would like to stop to be a petulant child and shut up! Unlike others, I do not have a lot of time to spare!" Severus' voice grew louder and Harry stared back, his eyebrows frowned, meeting in a tick and frustrated line.

" It is Rabastan Lestrange who came with the idea of bringing back Voldemort," added the Potion Master, raising a hand to stop Harry as he opened his mouth to protest. " Is it possible for a Gryffindor to just sit and listen ?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Harry sighed loudly and nodded.

" Good," said Severus. " As I said, Rabastan Lestrange want Voldemort back for obscure reasons. I do not come here to simply tell you that, Potter. I believe you perfectly recall how He came back in your fifth year and now that you have children, the danger doesn't apply only to you."

"Shit! " exclaimed Harry, running a hand on his face. Then, he looked at Severus. " Is that all? All you wanted to tell me ?"

Snape's jaws clenched. "Yes, it is all." he hissed. " I have to go."

Harry politely guided the older man to the door, opened it and stepped on the threshold, before stopping on the threshold, a hand on the door handle. He turned to face his former professor. " Will I see you again ?" he asked.

" I hope not or it would mean that things are worse than expected, " replied Severus, slightly shaking his head. " Do not forget; do not mention my visit to anyone. Farwell, Potter."

Harry stepped aside. " Goodbye, professor."

Severus Snape left in a loud crack at the end of the small pathway of grey slabs, after noticing Albus and Lily looking at him by the window of their bedrooms.

* * *

_Autor's Note:_

Hello,

Thank you for reading this work! It's not the first time I write a fic, but I've never had the opportunity to write a Harry Potter fic. I have to say English is not my first language so my work is probably full of typos - even if I use a correcter and grammar help - but don't hesitate to notify me if you see a mistake!

As you may have noticed, there are similarities on the plot 'going back into the past to avoid the death of Voldemort' of the Cursed Child - although I read it a while ago so I can not remember very good. There, the question is to bring back Voldemort from the past so that it makes a jump in time fifteen years later when Harry and Ginny have their children. I do not know why I took such a complicated idea to explain nor how I'm going to do it, but why not?

Please, don't hesitate to tell me what you think about this fic!

Thank you again.


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